A scarf in very fine gauge garter stitch

Wool cotton and silk scarf worked in garter stitch using size 1 needles

This was a very fun and small project that took a very long time.  The yarn is lace weight, but I decided to just see what a plain, even knitting stitch would look like at this fine gauge.  One of the more charming things about it is its weight.  It's only one skein, so it's only a few ounces. 

I knitted using both ends of the skein.  I alternated rows, so the strand from inside the ball was row one and the strand from the outside was row two, and so on.  I think that made the sort of nebulous color throughout the textile, which is another one of its charms.

It's about 40 inches long, so is suitable for several kinds of  loose knots as a fashion accent.

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing, I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

 

Reds! Sunset and hot tropics - the continuing story

 I will finish this within the next few weeks - it won't go back into a "work in progress" bag or bin.

It is the first work I'll complete in my new studio space. I've relocated to Greenfield, in western Massachusetts and hope to concentrate solely on my textiles and paper arts.

This small set of notes is what I used to develop the pattern. It is written on the back of the yarn label.

My working point of view - it's a glorious riot of color.

For an earlier post on this shawl: https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/reds-sunset-and-hot-tropics.html

Minky binkie - work in progress

Mixed fibers blanket

Begun in 2019

approximately 60 x 80 inches when completed; mixed fibers

The combination of black, brown and gray give this blanket a look that is like mink fur, thus the name. A wool chenille-like yarn in black and brown forms the most bulky stripes.  Various bulky textures add  interest and add dynamic color changes. It could be used anyplace you might otherwise use a fur throw.

In the Studio - pale blues silk and alpaca

Scarf, alpaca and silk, garter stitch, approximately 10in x 75in when completed.

This is knitted with two yarns on double pointed needles so that two rows can be knitted before turning the work.  One is a solid powder blue and on that is variegated from a sky blue to a wheat color, The strips created by the variegation get stretched out a bit by the row of solid color between every row of variegated color.

Reds! Sunset and hot tropics

My current knitting work in progress.

Yellow Linen Cloth in Garter Stitch

Wash cloth, linen, garter stitch, size 1 aluminum needles, 14 in.

The finished cloth is 11 in x 11 in and the fine gauge made with sport weight yarn produces a fairly sturdy and heavy cloth.  It's made to stand up to a lot of wear and to be machine washable and dryable.  This is a work horse cloth.
 

Sunny Yellow Linen - in progress

Wash cloth; Sport weight linen; garter stitch;  size 1 aluminum needle

I have really enjoyed this basic cloth, which is a gift for a departing work colleague. The very fine needle makes the cloth nicely tight-knit and it will machine wash and dry very well. It's LOTS of knitting for a piece that will probably be 11 x 11 inches.

 

Purple teal orange brown wild thang

This is several different yarns cut into random lenghts, all a bulky weight, knit with a size 11 cable needle.  Often I will add squins, eyelash yarns or other novelty yarns, but I think this has plenty of "interest" already.

Three silk yarns: encore

Two slightly different sizes of needles make something like a subtle ruffle in the fabric.

Blues - merino and brushed alpaca

Scarf, merino and alpaca, size 3 cable needle 24 in. garter stitch

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It seems like this scarf took forever!  Size 3 needles make a fine gauge - but the results are lovely.  I used a double-pointed needle and alternated the yarn each row, so that the yarns intertwined in an interesting way, even though it's a simple garter stitch.

Finished!

wild nylon fuzzy thang

Shawl, mixed fibers: nylon, mohair, silk, wool, size 4 aluminum needles, 14 in.

The small gauge of this one makes for a lot of knitting, but the wild colors make it entertaining.  I've had to put it aside several times to take a break.  It will eventually end up being about 7 - 8 feet long, so it will perhaps be quite a while until it's complete.  I've made stripes by changing yarns every row and also textural stripes by changing the stitch pattern from garter to stockinette.  Wild things are happening in all aspects!

Scarf, mauve cotton and silk

I have this yarn in a deep cherry red color, and when I saw this lovely mauve I knew I would love working with it.  It's not exactly a straightforward color and tends to be nice in lots of different kinds of light.

Scarf, cotton and silk garter sritch size 6  cable needle wood 24 inches

Debbie Bliss cotton silk aran made in Italy

I love this yarn!  It just feels so good going through my fingers because of the silk that is blended in with the cotton. I love the way it shows all the stitch definition.  It drapes beautifully and the heaviness is dreamy. It's an older yarn, and it's no longer easily found in retail markets.

At this point it's about a third of the way done.  It's a heavy fabric because the yarn is heavy and I've made a dense texture by using the small needle and the garter stitch, which can be rather thick.

It's perfect for "public knitting" because the stitch is very straightforward and distractions don't disrupt the flow.

* * *

Three silk yarns

Shawl, three silk yarns,  garter stitch, size 3 wooden and aluminum needles, 14 in.

I'm trying yet another fine gauge shawl, this time in three silk yarns. I am using slightly different sized needles in an alternating pattern that will make the fabric a little bit uneven in tension.

Freia Hand Paint Scarf - a Real Challenge!

Scarf,  fingering weight merino wool, with nylon, garter stitch, size 3 wood cable needle 24 in.

I love the hand painted yarn cakes! They are wound so that the color changes in exactly the opposite order if the yarn is pulled from the middle of each cake. This particular yarn is designed to change colors in very long and subtle lengths.  If one used a single yarn at a time it would make very broad stripes. I am using both skeins as I knit and pulling from the middle of each cake and alternating the yarns each row. I decided to use a plain stitch pattern so that the colors would be the stars of the show.

The light weight yarn and the small needles means very fine gauge knitting, but I think the fine gauge works best with these colors. The most contrast in the colors of the two yarns are at the ends.

At this stage the colors are into the purple and magenta part. Hand painted yarn is one way to closely control how the colors change from one to the other.

This is the middle, where the two yarns are the same magenta color.  After this the colors along the length of the fabric will begin to look symmetrical in order out to the finishing end.

At about three quarters of the way through the colors of the two yarns are different again so they are purple and magenta again.

The tiny needles make sure that the lightweight yarn still makes a warm and firm fabric that won't let the cold breezes of fall and winter blow right through. The wool makes a nice drape but it's not loosey goosey. It takes a very long time to make any amount of fabric. I've had to put this aside several times because I just don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with it, but I've always come back because I can't wait to see the beautiful color combination play out at the end!!!

Ta da